Storage-battery grid



W. E. HOLLAND AND 1. M.ISK|NNER.

STORAGE BATTERY GRID. APPLICATION FILED ocT. 29. 1918.

Patented Aug. 9, 1921.

.I a I@ I [e 4 l z Z Z W. E. HOLLAND AND J. M. SKINNER.

STORAGE BATTERY GRID.

APPLICATION Flyin ocT. 29. 1918.

1,387,397. Pafendwg. 9,1921.

s SHEETS-SHEET' z.

w.E. HoLLANn AND1. M..SKINNER.

STORAGE BATTERY cmo. APPLICATION FILED, OCT. 2.9- 1.9l8.

Patented Aug. 9, 1921.

a SHEETS-SHEET a.

ym-MAW.

`*UNITED s fiATr.S7

'WALTER E. IIOLLAND ANDJAivI-Es M'. sKINNPjLR., OPPIiILALnLPIIiA, PENNSYLVANIA,k AssIeNoRs To PHILADELPHIA STORAGE iaArTERYjcoMPANY, OP PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, lA CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA.

i f v Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 29,-1918.-Seria1v No. 260,192.

T o @ZZ whom t may concern .j

VBe itknown thatwe, WALfrnn E. HOLLAND and JAMES M. SKINNER, citizens of the United States, residing in Philadelphia,

battery electrodes orplates are. customarilymade by casting a suitable lead alloy .in a

'metal mold maintained by gas burners at such a temperature as will insure the flow of` metal to all of its parts. These burners are necessarily so operated as to maintain the mold temperature `at sucha point that the molten metal will certainly flow to the parts of the mold most remote fromr the pouringV gate as well as lill the* channels having the smallest cross sectional area. The resulting frames orgri'ds, owing to conditions inherent in this method fof manufacture, areof a non-uniform structure, are. kmore or less porous, and vary in density and strength at diiferent points.` Because of this porous, non-uniformstructura the grids are attacked under conditions of use,

theV inetal'being oxidized 'notonly on its outer surfaces but also4 internally, due to penetration of the electrolyte into the pores.

As a consequence, in a relatively.A short time .the integrity of the grid is seriously impaired and the useful life of the plate, AofV which the grid is the foundatiomis shortcned.

circuit and become inoperative` ina ,rela-` @ne obj ectofour `invention therefore,vr is to provide a gridor frame for storage battery plates which shall befof relatively high density, practically free from pores, and of a uniform texture or" structure throughout, with a view topreventing the internal 0X1-v dation, with the consequentl disintegration, uneven act-ion and buckling which has hitherto occurred to a greatery or less degree in grids as at present made andused.

Another object of the invention is toprovvide grids for storage battery platesv in which the metalk required for strength and Moreover, Owing to thel unequal stresses resulting from this internalloXidation-of the porous, non-uniform metal, the;

current" carrying capacity, shall occupy a smaller volume, and in whichgrid therefore there will be more room for active material.

A Y further object of the invention is to provid-e a storage battery grid which, by vii'- tue of' being filled out sharply and smoothly all over, will take the active paste uniformly at all points, with theresult that the `faces ofthe finished plate are smooth and per-l fectly flat. Such a plate has the advantage that when assembled with the usual flat perforated or slotted rubber separators, the active material will be better heldin place and the plate life lengthened'due to the improved surface contact of plate and separators. Furthermore, due to the elimination vof surface hollows, suchv a plate will obviously contain more active material for a given overallthickness.

These ob 'ects and other advantageous ends we attain as hereinafter set forth, reference beingihad to theraccompanying drawings, in lwhich,

- Figure 1 is an elevation of castblank Afrom which-agrid may be formed by com-4 pression, inl accordance with one method of making a storage battery grid fuliilling the requirements of our invention. yThis gurealso serves to-showone form ofiiinished grid in accordance with our invention; Y

Fig. 2 is across section on the line 2 2, Fig; l;

Fig- 3k is Vanelevation Of'another form of cast blankfrom which a gridmay be formed in accordance with our invention ;V

Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line t-4, Fig. 3;

Fig. A5 is a fragmentary elevationof av finished plate; f Fig. 6 is'asection on the line 6-6, Fig. `5; Fig'.` 7 is anvelevation of a blank of sheet metalof uniform thickness;

Fig. 8 isan elevation after striking up or coining the Vmembers lof a grid from the blank shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. y9 is an edge view of the structure shown in Fig. 8. y j. By one method of making a storage battery grid or frame which shall fulfil the requirements of our invention, we cast a blank 1,l such as that illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, by anyof the usual methods and which may PATENT OFFICE.

Patented A110'. 9, 1921.

ioo

be identical with battery grids as now cast. The casting is then placed between the suitably formed dies of a press wherein it is subjected to a relatively high pressure `so that its various ribs 2 3 and frame members 419-7 are internally compacted and so far increased in density as to be practically without pores or other superficial or inter? nal cavities. detail andclaimed in the application No. 260,193 dated October 29, 1918, of Messrs. Holland and Skinner, which also describes and claims a variation on the above method in which a grid is formedby compression or coining from a cast blank such as shown in F1os. 3 and et.

wing to the nature of the metal used and especially to the fact that it `vvillflow and weld under pressure, the structure of the grid vis rendered uniformlyV dense at all points so that when it is incorporatedin a storage battery plate and subjected toconditions of use, the electrolyte cannot penetrate into its body' and the oxidation proi high pressure between suitable dies, preferably heated, whereby the various rib and frame members 2-7, Fig'. 1, are struck up or coined from the body or web 10. Thereafter the thin tins or webs of metal remaining between the formed members are removedby cutting, punching orotherwise as described and claimed in the application above referred to. ln this case also, owing to the compacting and welding of the metal under pressure, the structure of the gridv isrendered dense, `non-porous and uniform: in

texture.

Another method of making the grid constituting our invention is to subject'a flat blank of rolled sheet metal of uniform thickness, as shown in Fig. 7, to arelatively high pressure between suitable dies, preferably heated, whereby the rib and frame membersV` c are struck up or coined, as shown in Figs.

8 and 9. Thereafter the thin fins 'orwebs of metal remaining between the members as well as those projecting around the outside of the frame or marginal members, may be This method is described in grid. f A

removed by cutting, punching, or any other suitable means, as described and claimed in the applicationY of Messrs. Holland and Skinner referred to above. 4 In any'case, the grids constituting our invention vhave a close, compact and homogeneous structure or texture, uniformly constituting vourI invention are filled out sharply and.' smoothly and the amount of metal required, owing to mechanical` and electrical considerations, occupies less space, so that the finished plates 11, Figs. 5 and 6, embodying .such grids are not only smooth and of uniformthickness at all points but contain @more active material .12 Vfor any given overall dimensions.

le claim:4 i

1.k Asa new article of manufacture a storage battery grid consisting ofv a relatively dense, yhomogeneous body of metal.

2. 'As anew article of-manufacture a storage battery grid consisting of a frame and a series of ribs connecting the elements of said frame, the ribs and vframe being composed of relatively compressed, uniformly dense,

metal.

\ As a new article of manufacture a storage battery' gridconsisting of a relatively dense, homogeneous kbody-of an alloy of lead.

4. As a new'articleof manufacture a storsilie'd alloy of lead; i c

5. As a ne7 article of manufacture a storage battery grid consisting of a frame and a serieslofribs connecting'the elements ofV said agev battery grid consisting of relatively denframe,'the ribs and frame being composed of a rclativelydensiied alloy of lead.

6. As a nevvva'rticle of manufacture a storage battery `plate consisting of a relatively dense homogeneous body of relatively'densified metal and active material carried by said (."As a new article of manufacture a stor age battery plate consisting of al frame and a series of ribs connecting the elements of said frame, all of relatively densified metal; with yactive materialv carriedby said grid;

vlni'vitness whereof we affix our signatures.

" j* WALTER E'. HOLLAND.

'JAMES M.V SKINNER. 

